MLB Player News

Massey (hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Friday.

Massey has been on the IL since June 18 due to a left hand laceration and now enters the final stretch of his recovery process. It's unclear how long the Royals plan on keeping Massey in the minors, but he is still on track to return before the All-Star break.

Lopez (hand) is starting at second base and batting ninth Friday against the Dodgers, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

Lopez suffered a bruised hand after getting hit by a pitch Wednesday and sat out Thursday's game. Now, he'll return for Friday's series opener with Los Angeles and look to keep things going after posting a .600 OBP across his last four games.

Diaz was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Diaz slashed .321/.364/.527 with five home runs in 26 games after his most recent demotion to Vegas to earn another trip to the big leagues. The 22-year-old should should see consistent playing time at second base for the rebuilding A's.

Westburg is not in the starting lineup Friday against the Twins, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Westburg will head to the bench for the first time since being called up Monday after he went 5-for-12 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored over his first three career big-league contests. Adam Frazier will start at second base and bat eighth in the series opener with Minnesota.

Valdez was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Worcester on Thursday with left thumb inflammation.

Valdez was initially injured early last week and made a brief, unsuccessful return for two games before the decision was made to shut him down him. The infielder had homered in four of his first seven contests since his demotion before getting hurt and might have been poised for a promotion with Pablo Reyes (abdomen) also injured for Boston.

Remillard is starting at second base and batting leadoff Thursday against the Angels.

It's his second straight start at second base and his first appearance atop the White Sox lineup. The 29-year-old boasts a .385/.407/.423 batting line through his first 28 major-league plate appearances and could continue to steal playing time from the struggling Elvis Andrus, though Remillard's lackluster minor-league numbers suggest that he is eventually going to run into serious regression.

Andrus is absent from the lineup again Thursday versus the Angels.

Zach Remillard will cover second base and bat leadoff against the Angels and left-hander Patrick Sandoval. Andrus, who also sat in favor of Remillard on Wednesday, is slashing just .200/.276/.262 across 218 plate appearances this year.

Caballero went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in a loss to the Nationals on Wednesday.

The only offense of the day for the Mariners in the 4-1 loss came from the No. 9 spot in the order, underscoring the extent of the team's offensive struggles. Caballero's eighth-inning solo shot marked the rookie's first time leaving the yard since he slugged homers in back-to-back games May 21 and May 22, and he's now hit safely in five of his last six starts.

Altuve went 2-for-3 with three walks, a double, a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 10-7 win over the Cardinals.

Altuve had been out since Saturday due to heel discomfort but showed no ill-effects Wednesday, as he reached base five times, scored twice and drove in three during Houston's comeback win. The veteran second baseman has struggled to stay in the lineup due to multiple injuries, but when available this year he's produced at a high level, slashing .275/.375/.471 with four home runs, 14 RBI and 20 runs scored across 27 games (120 plate appearances).

Lopez (hand) is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Guardians.

Lopez was lifted from Wednesday's contest against Cleveland after being hit in the right hand by a pitch. X-rays came back clean, but it's no surprise he's not in there for this one. Samad Taylor will play second base and Matt Duffy will be at third.